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Chen X, Tian T, Pan H, Jin Y, Zhang X, Yang B, Zhang L. Establishing a protected area network in Xinlong with other effective area-based conservation measures. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14297. [PMID: 38752477 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are pivotal to biodiversity conservation, yet their efficacy is compromised by insufficient funding and management. So-called other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) present a paradigm shift and address PA limitations. Such measures can expand conservation areas, enhance connectivity, and improve the existing system. To assess the conservation status of biodiversity in Tibetan cultural areas in China, we investigated the spatial distribution of wildlife vulnerable to human disturbance (large- and medium-sized mammals and terrestrial birds) in Xinlong, a traditional Tibetan cultural area. In particular, we compared a PA (Xionglongxi Nature Reserve) and OECMs targeting species conservation. We also investigated the relationship of wildlife with human temporal and spatial activities. The OECMs complemented areas not covered by PA, especially in rich understory biodiversity regions. More species in OECMs tolerated human presence than species in the PA. Existing biodiversity reserves failed to cover areas of high conservation value in Tibet and offered limited protection capacity. Expanding PAs and identifying OECMs improved Xinlong's system by covering most biodiversity hotspots. Building on the tradition of wildlife conservation in Tibet, harnessing OECMs may be an effective means of augmenting biodiversity conservation capacity. We recommend further evaluation of OECMs effectiveness and coverage in Tibetan area as a way to enhance the current PA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tengteng Tian
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Pan
- Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) Foundation, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyi Jin
- Chengdu Aisiyi Ecology Conservation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaodian Zhang
- Chengdu Aisiyi Ecology Conservation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) Foundation, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Lyngdoh AW, Kumara HN, Babu S, Karunakaran PV. Community Reserves: Their significance for the conservation of mammals in a mosaic of community-managed lands in Meghalaya, Northeast India. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280994. [PMID: 36701278 PMCID: PMC9879402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Community Reserves (CRs) have been advocated for increasing the protected area coverage in northeast India where the land is primarily owned and managed by local indigenous institutions. To understand the significance of these reserves for the conservation of mammals, we investigated the diversity and abundance of mammals in five CRs in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya as well as interviewed 75 local villagers to assess the hunting practices and perceptions of the Indigenous Khasis on mammals. We employed 60 camera traps in the CRs and undertook a recce survey (day-time and night-time) for capturing the diversity in the CRs. We used photo-capture rate and encounter rate as indices of relative abundance in the CRs. We used an exact multinomial test to test differences of opinion among the respondents of the five CRs. We found a relatively low abundance of mammals in the CRs, yet they persist. A total of 28 species were detected through camera trapping and recce survey and an additional 12 species were reported by respondents to also occur in the CRs. Among the respondents, it was believed that the decline in mammal populations was largely driven by habitat loss and degradation (82.67%) while only a few believed it was also driven by hunting (5.33%). Respondents also believed that the presence of the reserves and awareness programs taken under them had also led to a reduction in hunting (20%) in their area. Although, some attributed it to a general decline in wildlife populations and forest cover (21.33%). Thus, despite these CRs being small (<2 km2) and isolated, they still harbour mammal species and are important for retaining remnant forest patches in a landscape that is highly fragmented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Wansaindor Lyngdoh
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
- Forests & Environment Department, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Honnavalli N. Kumara
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
- * E-mail:
| | | | - P. V. Karunakaran
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
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Sherryl L. Paz, Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez. Understanding human-flying fox interactions in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary as basis for conservation policy interventions. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2021. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7466.13.11.19431-19447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is no documented flying fox hunting study done in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS) which is known to harbor many threatened wildlife species. The Large Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus is known to be threatened by hunting in the AMWS despite existing laws, such as the Wildlife Act. We conducted semi-structured interviews from September 2017 to January 2018 with 240 hunters in 10 villages through purposive sampling to determine the socio-demographic and economic profile of the hunters, their conservation awareness, perceptions on the monitoring scheme and enforcement, possible hunting patterns, and hunting drivers. Results showed that farming and fishing are the most common livelihoods of hunters. Most hunters achieved an education at the elementary level (42.9%), and belong to a household with 4–6 members (55.5%), often with only one member having a meager daily income (80.7%). Annual flooding was the main economic constraint to the hunters. Largely comprised of indigenous Manobos (62.9%), the majority of hunters did not believe in avoiding taboo species (85.4%). Most of the hunters were unaware of laws protecting Wildlife (62.9%) and unable to differentiate between threatened and non-threatened species (86.3%). Poor implementation of the monitoring scheme and insufficient enforcement were also observed in AMWS. Kites with hooks (55%) and guns (31.7%) were used to hunt P. vampyrus mostly for local consumption (83.3%). Multivariate analysis revealed that daily income and engagement in conservation negatively affected hunting intensity. With many constraints in totally banning hunting in poor and wildlife-dependent indigenous communities in AMWS, flexible policies must be considered. It is more reasonable and realistic to consider science-based hunting quotas in policy interventions to balance conservation and human welfare. Positive behavioral change towards sustainable hunting and trading bans requires a combination of effective education campaigns, engagement of indigenous communities in conservation, improved enforcement, and sustainable livelihood programs.
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Food and nutrition of Gaur (Bos gaurus C.H. Smith, 1827) at the edge of Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3281. [PMID: 33558608 PMCID: PMC7870890 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82858-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of gaur (Bos gaurus) at the border of Khao Yai National Park (KYNP) in Thailand has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of individuals’ crop feeding. This study examines the feeding adaptations of gaur at the edge of the protected area and assesses whether gaur response to increased nutrient availability in crop plants compared to natural forage. During the day, gaur mostly utilized forest areas in KYNP and entered the agricultural areas at night. Gaur ate 43 natural forage species. Natural forage species contain high levels of crude protein and lipid, but they are found in small quantities and scattered areas when compared to crop plants, especially Zea mays L., that are available in large quantity and are heavily foraged on by gaur. However, greater understanding of the electivity index and nutrition of forage species along the edge of the protected area can be used to reduce the gaur-human conflict by keeping gaur in KYNP. Reducing the large monoculture areas that is the food sources of gaur along the edge may reduce or prevent gaur leaving the park and can be applied to advance conservation actions.
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Xu Y, Zhang K, Dou L, Yang N, Yang B, Wang B, Ran J. Redistribution of large and medium-sized mammals in a sacred natural site, western China. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Ranger survey reveals conservation issues across Protected and outside Protected Areas in southern India. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Huang G, Sreekar R, Velho N, Corlett RT, Quan R, Tomlinson KW. Combining camera‐trap surveys and hunter interviews to determine the status of mammals in protected rainforests and rubber plantations of Menglun, Xishuangbanna, SW China. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Huang
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Menglun Yunnan China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute Griffith University Nathan QLD Australia
| | - R. Sreekar
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Menglun Yunnan China
- Institute of Entomology Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - N. Velho
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Columbia UniversitySchermerhorn Extension New York NY USA
| | - R. T. Corlett
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Menglun Yunnan China
| | - R.‐C. Quan
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Menglun Yunnan China
| | - K. W. Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Menglun Yunnan China
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Examining a bias in evaluating conservation effectiveness for Galliformes on a typical Tibetan sacred mountain. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Shi X, Gong C, Zhang L, Hu J, Ouyang Z, Xiao Y. Which Species Should We Focus On? Umbrella Species Assessment in Southwest China. BIOLOGY 2019; 8:biology8020042. [PMID: 31126137 PMCID: PMC6628075 DOI: 10.3390/biology8020042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In conservation biology, umbrella species are often used as agents for a broader set of species, or as representatives of an ecosystem, and their conservation is expected to benefit a large number of naturally co-occurring species. Southwest China is home to not only global biodiversity hotspots, but also rapid economic and population growth and extensive changes in land use. However, because of the large regional span, the diverse species distributions, and the difficulty of field investigations, traditional methods used to assess umbrella species are not suitable for implementation in Southwest China. In the current study, we assessed 810 key protected species from seven taxa by indicator value analysis, correlation analysis, and factor analysis. We selected 32 species as umbrella species, whose habitats overlapped the habitats of 97% of the total species. Furthermore, the selected species were significantly correlated with 70% of all species in the study area. A total of 16 out of 19 selected animal species have been previously mentioned as umbrella species, compared with only 3 out of 13 plants species; this is despite plants accounting for a large proportion of the total species in Southwest China. We discuss the roles of indicator species and co-occurring species, and provide suggestions for species protection in Southwest China based on the current results. Our research provides valuable scientific information for research on umbrella conservation species over large geographical scales, and related fields of biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Cheng Gong
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Jian Hu
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Zhiyun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Yi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
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Talukdar NR, Choudhury P, Singh B. Current records of porcupine in northeast India: distribution, habitat preference and conservation. Trop Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s42965-019-00005-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dorji S, Rajaratnam R, Falconi L, Williams SE, Sinha P, Vernes K. Identifying conservation priorities for threatened Eastern Himalayan mammals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:1162-1173. [PMID: 30055016 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
To augment mammal conservation in the Eastern Himalayan region, we assessed the resident 255 terrestrial mammal species and identified the 50 most threatened species based on conservation status, endemism, range size, and evolutionary distinctiveness. By using the spatial analysis package letsR and the complementarity core-area method in the conservation planning software Zonation, we assessed the current efficacy of their protection and identified priority conservation areas by comparing protected areas (PAs), land cover, and global ecoregion 2017 maps at a 100 × 100 m spatial scale. The 50 species that were most threatened, geographically restricted, and evolutionarily distinct faced a greater extinction risk than globally nonthreatened and wide-ranging species and species with several close relatives. Small, medium-sized, and data-deficient species faced extinction from inadequate protection in PAs relative to wide-ranging charismatic species. There was a mismatch between current PA distribution and priority areas for conservation of the 50 most endangered species. To protect these species, the skewed regional PA distribution would require expansion. Where possible, new PAs and transboundary reserves in the 35 priority areas we identified should be established. There are adequate remaining natural areas in which to expand current Eastern Himalayan PAs. Consolidation and expansion of PAs in the EH requires strengthening national and regional transboundary collaboration, formulating comprehensive regional land-use plans, diversifying conservation funding, and enhancing information sharing through a consolidated regional database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangay Dorji
- Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
- Nature Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu, 11001, Bhutan
| | | | - Lorena Falconi
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Stephen E Williams
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Priyakant Sinha
- Precision Agriculture Research Group (PARG), School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Karl Vernes
- Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
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Terrestrial Species in Protected Areas and Community-Managed Lands in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. LAND 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/land5040035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Harrison RD, Sreekar R, Brodie JF, Brook S, Luskin M, O'Kelly H, Rao M, Scheffers B, Velho N. Impacts of hunting on tropical forests in Southeast Asia. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:972-981. [PMID: 27341537 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Although deforestation and forest degradation have long been considered the most significant threats to tropical biodiversity, across Southeast Asia (Northeast India, Indochina, Sundaland, Philippines) substantial areas of natural habitat have few wild animals (>1 kg), bar a few hunting-tolerant species. To document hunting impacts on vertebrate populations regionally, we conducted an extensive literature review, including papers in local journals and reports of governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Evidence from multiple sites indicated animal populations declined precipitously across the region since approximately 1980, and many species are now extirpated from substantial portions of their former ranges. Hunting is by far the greatest immediate threat to the survival of most of the region's endangered vertebrates. Causes of recent overhunting include improved access to forests and markets, improved hunting technology, and escalating demand for wild meat, wildlife-derived medicinal products, and wild animals as pets. Although hunters often take common species, such as pigs or rats, for their own consumption, they take rarer species opportunistically and sell surplus meat and commercially valuable products. There is also widespread targeted hunting of high-value species. Consequently, as currently practiced, hunting cannot be considered sustainable anywhere in the region, and in most places enforcement of protected-area and protected-species legislation is weak. The international community's focus on cross-border trade fails to address overexploitation of wildlife because hunting and the sale of wild meat is largely a local issue and most of the harvest is consumed in villages, rural towns, and nearby cities. In addition to improved enforcement, efforts to engage hunters and manage wildlife populations through sustainable hunting practices are urgently needed. Unless there is a step change in efforts to reduce wildlife exploitation to sustainable levels, the region will likely lose most of its iconic species, and many others besides, within the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhett D Harrison
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- World Agroforestry Centre, East & Southern Africa Region, 13 Elm Road, Woodlands, Lusaka, Zambia.
| | - Rachakonda Sreekar
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Departments of Zoology and Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Sarah Brook
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Cambodia Program, P.O. Box 1620, House 21, Street 21, Phenom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Matthew Luskin
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114 Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Hannah O'Kelly
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Cambodia Program, P.O. Box 1620, House 21, Street 21, Phenom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Madhu Rao
- Wildlife Conservation Society, SE Asia Program, 14 Science Drive 4, 11743, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 11743, Singapore
| | - Brett Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Nandini Velho
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, 4878, Australia
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